


cold hands, warm heart

by vityuu (nanahoney)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Confession, F/M, First Kiss, Getting Together, Star Gazing, This is an au where Marinette can actually talk to Adrien and they're very close, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, adrienette - Freeform, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21735079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanahoney/pseuds/vityuu
Summary: Adrien doesn't know what prompts him to say it.Maybe it's the way Marinette looks as she's bathed in the night's glow, or the orange streaks playing in her hair, the shadows and light that blend together and the light, relaxed smile on her face as she's staring up at the starry sky with serenity and peace that he hasn't seen on her face in such a long time.Adrien doesn't know why he's watching her as they're sprawled out on her balcony, too much like Chat Noir and Marinette are. He shouldn't be mixing the two lives but -"My hand is really cold."
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 46
Kudos: 200





	cold hands, warm heart

**Author's Note:**

> betaed by the amazing @beaubcxton!! any remaining typos are all my own

Adrien doesn't know what prompts him to say it.  
  
Maybe it's the way Marinette looks as she's bathed in the night's glow, or the orange streaks playing in her hair, the shadows and light that blend together and the light, relaxed smile on her face as she's staring up at the starry sky with serenity and peace that he hasn't seen on her face in such a long time. There's the moon and stars in her eyes, dancing and twinkling before she closes them and lets out a soft hum. Her lips curl.  
  
Adrien doesn't know why he's watching her as they're sprawled out on her balcony, too much like Chat Noir and Marinette are. He shouldn't be mixing the two lives but -  
  
He can't bring himself to mind, not when he gets to see her like this.  
  
The urge to visit her was an itch under his skin long before he snuck out to do it,when the sky was yawning and ripping itself open to bleed. And while he snuck out as Chat Noir when the lights went out and his father went to bed, it was Adrien who knocked on her front door because - because -  
  
He doesn't know _why_ . He just _really_ wanted to see her himself now that they were on such good terms that she could stand being in his presence for more than a minute without wanting to escape. It was such a nice feeling because Marinette loved everyone and yet, for the longest time, Adrien wasn't included.  
  
Now, Marinette greets him like he's an old friend, their conversations filled with teasing and banter and he was drunk off the feeling. Being loved by Marinette Dupain-Cheng is still a warmth he cherishes right under his heart.  
  
But he feels that he might be crossing a line that he shouldn't be because once he does, there's just no turning back.  
  
He never wants to lose her friendship but -  
  
"My hand is really cold," he says softly when their fingers brush and she turns to look at him, the skies in her eyes deeper, darker. 

Her freckles stand out under her blush. 

Adrien wets his lips as he watches her, the wind cradling his cheek, playing with his hair. 

Shadows and light pass by and leave across her face and she's surrounded by a faint glow, streetlights crowning her whole.  
  
"Oh?" she says, equally as soft because her parents are asleep downstairs. Her cheeks darken and she fidgets, tucking a curl of hair behind her ear as her eyes wander to the side then back to meet his. 

He doesn't know why but... His chest balloons and his heart pounds, so loud it rings in his head and he curls his fingers in an effort to keep it contained.  
  
"Mine are too, actually." She smiles, almost demure as she drums her fingers against the wood. His heart stops in his chest.  
  
He takes a glance at her fingers, nipped red at the tips, before he meets her gaze again.  
  
He doesn't know why but it feels as if something is changing.  
  
"We should, uhh..." He motions to her hand with his head, a smile playing at his lips when he sees her go crimson and follow his motions.  
  
Their hands bump together before sweaty fingers meet and twine and it's a little bit of perfect yet nerve-racking.  
  
"Better," they both say in unison then burst out laughing. 

Adrien curls their palms around one another and shifts closer, so their sides are touching and her breath warms his cheeks when they're facing one another.  
  
Marinette smiles at him, constellations on her nose and cheeks that Adrien can admire when he's so close to her. Closer than he's ever been.  
  
_Ladybug has freckles like these_ , he thinks to himself then stops himself at once. It's not fair, not fair to her because Marinette is not Ladybug and he doesn't want to compare the two in his head. Marinette doesn't deserve that. She deserves better than that.  
  
But when he looks at her, her hair a crown around her head, eyes as deep as the universe surrounding them, he sometimes sees Ladybug. Sees her in her smile, sees her in her laugh that snorts at the end. Sees her in the wrinkle between her brows when she's concentrated or enraged.  
  
But those are appalling thoughts. He settles for pushing them away, into the cluttered part of his brain that already thinks of Ladybug and Marinette too much.  
  
"You know," Marinette says softly after a moment, hesitates then smiles wide. His eyes linger on her lips for a second, pink and plump and so close before he meets her gaze again. "I really..." She hesitates again.  
  
"I like how your hand fits in mine."  
  
Adrien's world shatters and blooms all at once.  
  
He watches her, the way she's a rose up to her earlobes, the way she bites her bottom lip as if she wants to swallow her words back so they never ring out in the silence between them. Her eyes darting to the side, hair tickling her face and brushing against his own as he tries to soak in what was said, tries to make sense of it, tries to make sense of the warmth that spreads all the way to his fingertips, the giddy sort of happiness bubbling in his throat that makes his lips want to curl into a smile so wide it touches his ears.  
  
Adrien doesn't know what to make of it but he knows that it's good. Marvelous. Superb. Wonderful.  
  
Just. Very good.  
  
He squeezes her hand, now warm and wet in his. "Me too." 

He doesn't know what he means because he doesn't know what he feels. All he knows is that he means what he says. Because her hand is soft and warm and fits perfectly in his, twines and clings as if it's afraid he'll let go.  
  
He knows he will at some point because he can't stay there the whole night. He needs to go home.  
  
The problem is, he doesn't want to.  
  
No matter if he's Adrien or Chat Noir, leaving Marinette's company is always his least favourite thing in the world.  
  
"Why did you come here?" she says softly after a few moments, still facing him, looking at their entwined fingers with the smallest of smiles gracing her lips. He feels her fingers giving his a faint squeeze.  
  
Adrien looks over at them, too, still resting between them, her side warming his in the nipping winter evening, her fingers shielding him from the snowflakes, that have slowly started to fall. "I don't know," he answers truthfully. "I just...I missed your company, so I snuck out."  
  
"You saw me a few hours ago," Marinette points out and laughs, her breath misting the air in front of her, the cloud lifting to the dark ones rolling above them. A snowflake tickles his nose, the cold making him wrinkle it.  
  
"I know..." He ducks his head and shrugs with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, do you want me to go?"  
  
"No!" Marinette shakes her head and squeezes his hand again. So warm. So _perfect_ . "I didn't mean it like that, you just...Surprised me. It's pretty late so imagine my surprise when I get a text from you asking me if you can come over."  
  
She hesitates. "I thought something bad happened," she admits. "Maybe with your dad or... Nathalie being really sick."  
  
"I'm sorry for scaring you." He ducks his head again. "I didn't mean to, I just... I guess I wasn't thinking."  
  
"Hey, it's ok," Marinette assures him and gives his hand another squeeze. There's a smile playing on her lips when he looks back up, a rose in bloom dusted with the stars and the universe and it's a bit overwhelming. Looking at her smile is like looking at the sun - or maybe like looking at the moon; it's gentle and warm and inviting and he feels he can look at it for hours without getting blinded.  
  
The point is, Adrien loves Marinette's smile and he really shouldn't be thinking about this when he's talking to her.  
  
"I'm just glad that everything's ok," she adds after a second, her voice going petal-soft as her eyes flick down his face and settle somewhere. Adrien is confused for a second until she wets her lips and he realizes.  
  
_Oh._  
  
His cheeks dust pink and he mirrors her. The air feels different, somehow - he's looking at her and all he can hear is the heartbeat ringing in his ears, all he can feel is the quiver in her hold, how clammy and warm her hands are as their eyes meet and the world melts away into nothing. He's suddenly aware of how much he wants to kiss her.  
  
It feels like the most natural thing in the world.  
  
Marinette's eyes widen and sparkle as she slowly - so agonizingly slowly - moves closer to him, searching his face and hand trembling. Her body meshes with his once she's close enough, a comfortable pressure and he wraps his arms around her to show her it's ok, that he wants this.  
  
_Dieu_ , he wants it.  
  
She bites her bottom lip but then suddenly her eyes crescent as she tilts her head, lips cracking the tiniest bit and her impossibly long eyelashes tickle her cheeks dusted with freckles and a blush that warms her up to her ears. Adrien closes his own eyes, bringing her closer and meeting her halfway until their lips touch and then press together, shy and more than just a little unsure.  
  
His whole world is suddenly reduced to Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her hand cradling his cheek in the most loving touch, the warm brush of her thumb against his and her lips on his, warm and wonderful and it shakes his world to its core.  
  
He doesn't know what this is. That is, all he knows is that he really wants to kiss her and she occupies his thoughts more often than he likes to admit. (Sometimes, he thinks he might think about her more than he thinks about Ladybug but he can't bring himself to acknowledge that because somehow, liking Ladybug is safer than liking his very best friend.)  
  
Adrien doesn't know how long the kiss lasts. He doesn't know who pulls away first, who's hand squeezes who's but... His eyes flutter open and he's suddenly left staring into the depths of the universe, stars and galaxies and a crescent moon found in the tiny smile that light up Marinette's face brighter than any sun could.  
  
He doesn't know how he's still breathing but somehow, he finds it to be easier at the same time. He returns her smile. Their foreheads bump together and their hands hold on tightly.  
  
"Wow..." He whispers and she giggles in response.  
  
"Agreed," she answers and meets his gaze. She bites her bottom lip then leans in to peck his lips again, a feather-shy touch that leaves him feeling giddier than he has in months. "So..."  
  
"So..." Adrien echoes then coughs. He doesn't try to shy away from her, just bumps their foreheads together. "That just happened."  
  
Marinette's answering smile makes his own bloom and he holds onto her tighter.  
  
"It did," she said, giddy but she tries to smother it and hold it in. Taking in a deep breath, she meets his eyes again, braver than Adrien's feeling.  
  
(His eyes glance down at her lips for only a second but she knows, she sees and it makes her smile widen.)  
  
"So," Marinette says again, eyes shining once more. Adrien can't look away. "What now? What does... What does this mean?"  
  
"I really like you," Adrien breathes and suddenly feels lighter. Brighter. _Oh_ , his brain sighs and can't stop echoing the words in his mind until knowing so feels natural, like loving Marinette Dupain-Cheng is something he's known since he was a child. "A lot."  
  
Marinette bites her smile back. "Like a friend?" she whispers as she looks at him from under her eyelashes. Adrien bursts out laughing.  
  
"Marinette, I just kissed you," he says, amused. She lets out a huff.  
  
"Technically, I kissed you," she points out, amused. Her lips quirk more on one side than the other.  
  
"And I just let you kiss me." He playfully bops her nose and shakes his head. "But no, not as a friend. Well... That too, you're still my best friend but - I like you. A lot. In a romantic way, not just a platonic way."  
  
"Oh," she says and her eyes widen. A rose-bloom blush spreads across her face once again, her eyes flicker over to their hands, the way their fingers twine, never let go. They widen even further. "Oh."  
  
"Oh," he agrees and looks over with a fond smile. He gives her hand another squeeze when he's drowning in her eyes once more. _How have I never noticed your eyes shine like stars_ , he wants to say but it vines around his tongue and he's not sure he can. Not when this is all so new and fragile and he feels that one word could send them stumbling away, could break them into a million tiny pieces. He's not sure how much is too much, how much of his thoughts he can share so early on, when everything still feels like it's wrapped in a pink satin bow and the air around Marinette seems to shine brighter than any diamond.  
  
"I like you too," Marinette says and presses her forehead where his neck meets shoulder. Their hands break free so she can wrap her arms around him instead, clutching at his shirt. " _Dieu_ , I like you so much."  
  
His hand buries in her hair, stroking through it. He still remembers the day he first saw her with her hair down like it was yesterday - the sense of wonder and the warmth that had settled in his chest when he looked at her, so unruly and free, hair curling and brushing against her jaw. He hadn't known why felt that way back then, still convinced Marinette barely liked him as a friend let alone a potential partner but... Now that everything has fallen into place, he has no idea why he'd never seen it before when it's so obvious.  
  
He brings her closer and presses his cheek against her hair. "I'm so glad I came here today," he says softly and smiles. He feels her smiling against his skin, as well.  
  
"Me too," she answers and burrows closer. "How come you decided to come at this hour anyway?"  
  
He looks down at her. "Honestly, I really did just miss you," he admits. "My house is so big and it's...Suffocating. So I... I knew you were going to be up late since it's Friday and I wanted to see you. You make everything better."  
  
Her lips curl even more. "Smooth talker," she teases and pulls back enough to meet his eyes once again. She tucks a stray curl of hair behind her ear. "I bet you use that line on all the girls."  
  
"Only you," he promises and grins at her. "My other lines are way smoother." It startles a laugh out of her and she reaches for the pillow her head was perched on just half an hour ago, when he first came in, so she can whack him over the shoulder.  
  
"Adrien Aaden Alan Alastair Ambrose Athanase Agreste, I will start a pillow fight with you and I _wil_ l win so don't tease me."  
  
"Oh wow, I never realized how much of a mouthful that is to say until you said all of them out loud." Adrien laughs and grins at her. "Sorry, princess, I won't do that again."  
  
Marinette gives him an odd look but just pushes at his shoulder and settles down against him. She reaches for his hand again.  
  
"So... What now?"  
  
"Well..." He trails off and smiles at her. He tucks away her hair again, hand lingering against her cheek then just settling down there. "I'd love to take you out on a date, maybe? If you want?"  
  
Marinette is biting back another smile as she hides her face in his neck again. "I'd love that."

  
Adrien smiles and just settles down against her, warm and content tucked against her side as, for one day, everything is right in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> gonna be posting lots of short drabbles on tumblr @seleneslyre-writes so make sure to find me there ;) i'm pretty active there!! also sorry for my purple prose lmao gonna roll out now, hope you enjoyed at least a little bit! was originally written for love square fluff week but,,,, life got in the way of me posting it haha


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